Wiring advise needed

First, I am not too familiar with electrical wiring, and normally I will get an electrician to do a job, but this one is simply swapping an old switch to a new one, so I figured I can just match up the old and new switches and do it myself.

What I have is a double gang box that has four switches, two on each side. I turned off the main power and removed the cover plate, pulled out the switches and it looked like this:

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Note the top right switch is broken, this is why I am replacing this.

The left switch has a black wire connected to the top left. As seen in the link below:

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This black wire actually connects to the top right side of the right switches, as seen below:

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A black wire connects to the left bottom of the right switch, and a red wire to the left top of the right switch, as depicted below:

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To the right side of the right switches, the top is connected to the black wire that came from the left switches, and there is a white wire that connected to the bottom right. This white wire is all frayed and loosened up.

None of the switches are grounded. I saw three green wires tucked inside the box, screwed into a single nut. Not sure if they should have been connected to the grounding screw or not.

Now the problem. The Leviton Two Switches I got (I have a pair of them) do not look exactly like what I had so I can't just match them up.

The left side of my Leviton Switch look like this:

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The right side like this:

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Can someone tell me how I should be wiring them from the pictures? The Leviton switches has 4 screws, and they are labeled according to the instruction sheet A1 (top left), B1 (bottom left), Common Line 1 (top right), Common Line 2 (bottom right). And do I need to break off the fin located between the black screws?

Thanks in advance,

MC

Reply to
miamicuse
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Last two pictures look absolutely normal to me the side with the bridge is for the hot wire. Remove the bridge if the hots are different circuits. Loads go on the other side.

First picture shows the bridge removed.

pict 13 looks like black is hot and red is switch leg. One wire seems to be missing in the picture should be 4 wires I see 3 only

A little picture modification and it looks like the red with the black tape going to the right switch is a hot, or your missing a wire The red on the top left of the right switch looks like a switch leg. ISSUE Black on left side of right switch looks like a master switch to the switch on the left The switch with in the hand looks like the reds are the switch legs and the black is the hot.

Is there a wire missing? The switches can be wired with one hot on one side and two switch legs on the other side. I fail to see wires where I would expect.

Reply to
SQLit

There are three green wires not connecting to the box but they go into a single nut, as show below. I thought those are grounding wires?

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The right side of the right switch look like this:

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with a white wire (with black tape) going to the bottom screw and a black wire that came from the left switch.

Does it look right? How can I wire it the same with the new switches I have?

Thanks,

MC

Reply to
miamicuse

I think you need to take some better pictures of the sides of the old switches. I can't be sure from your pictures or descriptions what you've got. It appears that you have two, single pole combination switches. It also appears that one switch is upside down so the common terminal of the left switch is on the left and the common of the right switch is on the right, but its hard to tell. Forgetting any ground terminals, the switches old and new should have four terminals each. Two with a bridge between them and two without. If either of the old switches have the bridge removed, you need to do the same with the corresponding new switch

Reply to
RBM

You are right I got the pictures mixed up a bit. Here they are hopefully showing the whole picture.

Left switch left side:

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Left switch right side:
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Right switch left side:
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Right switch right side:
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Both switches front side:
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I can't tell if the bridge is removed or not. I don't know which side the bridge was on and what it looked before it was removed... Can you tell from the pics?

Thanks,

MC

Reply to
miamicuse

The left hand switch has a feed on the common side, which on the old switches is the side with the terminals close together. I can't see from the pix if the bridge is removed or not, but for it to work, it must be intact. You should be able to replace that one wire for wire. The right side switch is the one I am having trouble seeing where the wires are attached. If you could get clearer pix of that one, I can tell you what's going on.

Reply to
RBM

Your old switches have two terminals on one side, closely spaced, with a break off tab between them. this is the line side, and corresponds to the common line 1/2 terminals on the new switches.

The other side, with the two widely spaced terminals and the ground screw is the load side, corresponding to A1 and B1 on the new switches.

On your left switch, I can see that the tab on the line side is intact, so you don't need to break it off on the new switch. you can replace this switch one for one.

On the right switch, it's hard to tell from the pictures, and your description is confusing.

Important question: Is the tab broken on the right switch?

Your description of the black jumber wire between the left and right switches is confusing.. I would expect it to go from the line side of the left switch, to the line side of the right switch, and for the incoming feed from the breaker panel to also be on the line side of the right switch, on the other screw, with the tab intact. from the photo, this looks like a red wire.

I would expect to find the 4 lights connected to the 4 load terminals of the two switches, which from the photos appears to be two reds on the left switch, and a black, and a white w/black tape on the right.

Reply to
Bob Vaughan

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